Here’s the thing…when we get into the weeks where there are TWO dances, the margins get tighter, instead of bigger. More points are handed out. But the big question is – do the points handed out to the eliminated dancer count in the overall judges score? Because THIS WEEK, it could make all the difference in the world. People are worried about Charlie and James, but they don’t have it that hard in terms of what they have to get in votes to make up the difference in the judges scores – honestly, no one appears to be uber safe this week, I don’t think.

Let’s get right to it, shall we? See the table below for the judges scores and the percentage of the total for each celebrity, with NeNe’s scores included.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Well, let’s hope that this week is finally Charlie’s week. Quickstep should be great for him. If he does another great dance only to get hosed by the judges in their quest to get Meryl and Maks the MBT – well, I might have to write a really long, scathing rant post that blisters the ass of any producer that comes close to this site. (waves) Seriously, this show is pissing me off big time. Have they learned nothing from their other pimpees, who include the likes of Chelsea Kane and William Levy – that reminds me, I need to finish my post entitled “Winners Never Pimp and Pimpers Never Win.” For you reading-impaired shippers of the quivering loins with your heads in the clouds – this has nothing to do with Meryl herself, or her ability. It has to do with the single minded moronic quest of the judges and producers to make sure that Meryl and Maks win. If she’s all that….LET IT HAPPEN.

Anyway, I hope Amy does well on the AT, but her injuries worry me. James is a big question mark for me on a dance like V.Waltz. Candace should do well as she could be in hold a lot of the time. Danica and Val?? Who the hell knows? Meryl and Maks? Tums are your friend. 😉

ETA #1: So Danica’s song is the only one I immediately recognized from this week’s list of individual dances…the rest are more obscure. And rumor has it that Grandma Chmerkovskiy flew in to observe one of Maks & Val’s dual rehearsal sessions…that ought to make for an interesting rehearsal package 😛 -Court-

ETA #2: I’m back from out of town and ready to rumble. There are going to be ground rules for Monday night – I’m going to post them here and reiterate them on Monday night so none of you forget. First, DO NOT constantly hit refresh. Read, comment if you want, then walk away for a few minutes. There’s no possible way for you to read anything new if everyone keeps clicking refresh. Two – DO NOT use the comment section like it’s twitter. If people start posting one-liners, I’m going to start deleting. If I have to delete you several times in a row, I’m putting you on moderation. You need context. Think of it this way – if someone comes along two hours later and reads your comment, will they be able to tell what you’re talking about? If the answer is no, you’re doing it wrong. The last couple Monday nights have been out of control – ya’ll need to start practicing some simple netiquette. Look it up. 😀 ~Heidi

ETA #3: Okay, so the “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” IS the Lorde version, as someone earlier suggested. Other tidbits we’ve heard? James is doing pretty well with a standard Viennese waltz, with at least one cool move where James is holding Peta’s leg over her head. Amy is having trouble with the AT. Whether it’s due to her lack of feet, her injury or just the lack of rehearsal, it’s hard to say. Also, as I alluded to in the comments, all the pros are pretty pissed that Abby Lee Miller is judging them on Monday night.

ETA #4: Anybody else think that Candace hit the song/dance combo jackpot?? With Mark as her choreographer, this should be a really cute dance.

ETA #5: Some last minute intel on the various dances – all sound interesting:
* Apparently Meryl & Maks’ rumba isn’t all that unorthodox – though parts of it look like a couple fighting. So maybe think less “protesting the situation in Ukraine” and more “wife working up the courage to leave an abusive husband”? There’s also a part where she rolls around on the floor.

* Amy is using a stool for part of her Argentine tango – the question is: will the judges like it, or dock her for it? (Heidi says “docked” since it’s about time the judges start angling for their favorite finalists – tonight will be telling)

* Apparently, Candace’s foxtrot has a comedic storyline to it – might be starting off sitting on a bench.

* Charlie’s quickstep is “cute and fun” and actually has a section of tango in the middle – will get him hosed or praised? He seems to be struggling a bit with the technique and hold – we’ll see if he gets it fixed before showtime. (Again, Heidi votes “hosed” – just cuz that’s what they do to Charlie, whether he deserves it or not.)

* Looks like Peta & James may have omitted the leg in the air trick from their Viennese waltz – it was a potential “lift risk”.

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Admittedly, this came out of left field for me – I was almost certain they were going to be doing the trio dances this coming week. So imagine my surprise when, last night, Tom announced this elusive “duo dance” that will pair up two couples, have them dance on the floor at the same time (with their partners), and then just the celebs dance with each other (without their partners). And in true DWTS style – it seemed like most of the pros had no idea what it all was about, and they probably still don’t. Thanks, Conrad. Gotta love these little parting gifts he’s leaving…

So what do we here at Pure know so far? Well we know for sure that these are the duos, per Deep Throat: Read more..

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble. Check out some of my other work at pureamericasgottalent.com!

Sooooo…anyone else have an unpleasant sense of deja vu from season 14 after last night’s show? Cause I sure am…it’s only the names that have changed: William Levy has been replaced with Meryl, and Donald Driver has been replaced with Charlie. William/Meryl can do no wrong in the eyes of the judges, is bathed in praise, and gets free passes for doing things that other couples get called out on in a heartbeat; while poor Donald/Charlie busts his ass and delivers not only some stellar dances, but manages to keep a smile on his face – yet week after week, he’s nitpicked to death by the judges and looks (along with his partner) beyond hurt as it’s happening. I hated the whole situation two years ago, and I hate it again now – the blatant pimping and obvious hosing of some couples vs. others is making me check out of this season just a little bit more with each passing week. There’s only one glimmer of hope on the horizon: William, despite all the pimping on his season, was only able to eke out 3rd place…while Donald, the weekly redheaded stepchild in the eyes of the judges, ended up winning the whole thing. Just some food for thought… Read more..

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble. Check out some of my other work at pureamericasgottalent.com!

I’d like to start by thanking our regular readers, the casual readers and our haters. 😉 Our page views have never been higher. So thanks. For some of you, I doubt this was what you intended. LOL.

Some of you who are fond of copying our stuff and then claiming we don’t know jack are in for a bit of a disappointment. I already know what three of the couples are dancing next week and if you behave yourselves, I might just share. Soon.

Now, on with the show. Tonight’s drinking game is about Danica. How often will they mention, pimp or otherwise exaggerate her injury that sources say isn’t as bad as is being portrayed? Take a shot every time. DOUBLE shot for words to that effect out of Danica’s mouth…Triple shot for Val. Do NOT send me your rehab bill. 😀 I’m paying for my own since I’ve been doing a shot every time someone is kissing Meryl’s ass in the comments. It beats back nausea. HA! Read more..

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

Pop Candies was able to catch up with some of the cast leaving rehearsals for Dancing With The Stars this weekend. Below, Amy talks of how much Dancing With The Stars has helped her. Danica says “good” when asked how her ribs are holding up. Val comments that she’s doing good too. More with some of the other cast members at this link. Also, don’t miss seeing Amy Purdy and Derek on the Ellen Show today at Pure Derek Hough. They dance too. So cute!

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

I'm a fashion and music fan....and I have always loved dancing too of any kind. Dancing With The Stars seems to have this way of bringing all of those things together. One of my favorite dancing quotes at the moment: "No matter what, nobody can take away the dance you've already had...." ~Gleb Savchenko . For fun music and dance mixes, visit WilUnleashed Soundcloud. To view my photography site, see Lisa Kay Photography.

Well, it’s Candace’s time in the hot seat, with Drew leaving us last week. Lucky for her, her road isn’t nearly as rough as Drew’s was. Who’s going to be eliminated it a bit more up in the air.

Meryl, of course, is still pretty insulated at the top of the leader board – she did a great dance and she shouldn’t have any problems this week. Even though there are risks being pretty consistently at the top too. Four out of six weeks, Meryl has been at the top of the leaderboard – sometimes it has been earned and other times – not so much. Thing is, she’s been up there all by herself most of the time when I feel like others have danced just as well (Charlie), with harder choreography. So, the question is – how much complacency is in her fanbase?? I’m sure Maks’ fans are anything but complacent at this point – but the pros fanbase won’t get you the win. Obviously.

There are five weeks of dancing left – I doubt they will start underscoring Meryl, but the question is, will they start giving Charlie the scores he deserves? If they are going to do that, it’s time for them to start the growth arc. If they are determined for Meryl to win…they won’t start scoring Charlie appropriately. I’m quite curious to see what happens. I called Charlie for the win before the season even started – but my prediction kinda hinges on him getting scored appropriately. He sure hasn’t been until now. If Meryl were dancing with Derek, I’m certain she would probably win. I don’t think it’s a sure thing with Maks. I still think Charlie has a real shot.

Another big question I have – why is NeNe getting so much love from the judges?? For all the whining and complaining I see about Amy and her scores, girlfriend can seriously dance AND Derek is giving her actual dances that resemble (strongly) the style they’re supposed to be. Some people still want her marked down for some reason (I have theories, fear being a large component). But the same cannot be said for NeNe. NeNe is putting on good performances (most of the time) but her dances have only been in the stated style about half the time – yet no one has said a word, she’s getting 9s and people bitch about Amy. It’s rather mind boggling. I hate to break it to you folks who are scared of Amy and Derek – when NeNe is getting high scores, it’s MORE likely that your favorite will go home in a shocking elimination. There is not a huge spread between the dancers when EVERYONE is doing pretty well, score wise. Some of you focus on Amy – you should be worried as much or MORE about NeNe. There is a method to their madness, after all. A reason why she’s getting good scores. You better hope they wise up fast. If she’s hitting some metric of popularity which results in overscoring so she sticks around – she’s the one you should be scared of. See Leah Remini staying longer than Christina and Liz. Same thing – over scoring of Leah put her in easy striking distance of Liz. Combine the likely-very-popular Candace at the bottom with the overscored NeNe above her…well, it could get interesting. Read more..

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

A comment before we get to this weeks dances… if you claim you hate this site, and then copy what we write verbatim (or copy Courtney’s tweets verbatim), post it to your skating forum or Maks tumblr and take credit for the info, you are a sad, poor thing. Not only are you a hypocrite who spends way more time here than your little friends realize (thanks for the hits!!), but hopefully now your little friends know you got it all from here. 😀 Ya stole it with nary a mention of those of us who actually told you what to say. Tisk tisk. Do you think we don’t see?? Honeys, every time you visit the site, we know where you came from. 😉 We appreciate your visits…we’ll put you on blast next time, we appreciate you so much.

Now, on to some other stuff. NeNe is apparently playing a Madam trying to prevent the randy Tony from getting to her girls. Why do I sense multiple, scantily clad females in this dance? And why have all the dances suddenly become “super sized”?? Rarely do I like it. Val’s cups and saucers were cute and Derek’s wedding. That’s it.

Charlie has a song, apparently, that is not even remotely Latin. Why does this guy keep getting screwed?? I don’t get it. Can we have some normal music please? I don’t like Amy’s song either, so there you go. Read more..

I'm a nerd and proud of it. Two degrees in geology also means I love BEER. :-) I'm also a Derek lover - proud of that too. So don't scream at those of us on this site and call us a bunch of "biased Derek-lovers" - it's just ME. :-) It may sound like I hate DWTS at times, but really, I'm just a snarky nitpicker from way back. And I'm cynical and jaded too. But I do love DWTS. :-)

My first team dance post was getting a bit lengthy…so I decided to carry on the discussion here I thought I’d take a look at several factors that may affect the outcome of the team dances – things that may affect scores and overall success on each of the teams. Join me, won’t you? And be sure to vote in the poll at the bottom!

The writing is kinda on the wall with this one – Derek wins team dances, so he’s a real asset if he’s on your team. Peta may not have as many wins, but the teams she’s been on have pulled in high enough scores that her average team dance score is pretty high. Mark’s average team dance score may be a bit artificially low – it was hard to account for the 4th judges’ score in season 12, so I just removed it – that ended up throwing things off a bit.

Who’s got the edge: Team Loca

Number of couples:

Team Loca: 4 couples
Team Vida: 3 couples

We only have two precedents for this one – season 9 and season 14, and there are pros and cons for both. In season 9, Team Paso had 4 couples and Team Tango had 3; Team Tango beat Team Paso by 4 points, with Louis citing that having fewer couples was easier because there were “fewer egos” and it’s easier to get a smaller number of couples in synch. In season 14, Team Tango had 4 couples while Team Paso had 3 – Team Tango beat Team Paso by 1 point, and Derek said that having more couples allowed them to “create more cool patterns on the floor”. From what I’ve heard from Deep Throat so far, both teams are looking great – but it seems like Team Vida might be having an easier time with the synchronized group sections.

Who’s got the edge: Team Vida

Dance Style:

This gets a bit tricky, as the team dances are freestyles once more and obviously, none of the current celebs have any experience with the freestyle yet. So which pros have experience with the freestyle?

Even if they haven’t necessarily WON with every single freestyle they’ve done, I think it’s good for every pro to at least have some experience with the freestyle – and Team Loca has Team Vida beat in that respect.

Who’s got the edge: Team Loca

Music:

Team Loca: “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin
Team Vida: “The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida)” by Ricky Martin

This one is rather subjective, as it’s just a matter of opinion who got the “better” song. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” has been used once before, as Kendra & Louis’ samba in season 12; “The Cup of Life” has been used twice before – once as Melissa & Tony’s salsa in season 8, once as Maria & Derek’s salsa in season 14. Both songs are conducive to both a samba and a salsa beat; there are also certain sections of each that might work with paso doble & cha-cha. Personally, I think all of Ricky Martin’s stuff kinda starts to sound the same after awhile – so I don’t really think either one is better than the other.

Who’s got the edge: TIE

Average individual score:

Team Loca: 25.63
Team Vida: 25.11

This is kinda reaching, but since everyone on the same team gets the same score, it might be worthwhile to look at what their average individual score is as a team. Not a vast difference between them – I would not be surprised if whoever won this team dance won it by only 1 point.

Who’s got the edge: Slight edge to Team Loca…but not by much

COURT’S OVERALL THOUGHTS: On paper, everything seems to be stacked in Team Loca’s favor: they’ve got great choreographers, great dancers, and are getting along well. Apparently Val is even refreshed at how good it feels to work as a team But I just can’t shake the feeling that Team Loca is being set up to lose – seems like a lot of emphasis is being placed on the fact that Derek has NEVER lost, and according to our sources, Team Vida is looking really good. We’re also at the point in the season where any potential dark horses (namely James, and to a lesser degree, Charlie) could have a bit of a growth arc and surge into the lead. Gotta love storyboarding. If they aren’t deliberately setting Team Loca up to lose, I would imagine the teams are going to be very, very close in score.

So what are your thoughts? Who do you think has the edge…and who do you think will actually end up winning?

Ultrasound sales specialist by day, semi-knowledgeable DWTS fan by night...with a smattering of hair & makeup enthusiast, occasional model, and crazy cat lady peppered in to make things REALLY interesting ;-) I might pee my pants in happiness if Donnie Wahlberg ever does DWTS - or if they ever use "Sunglasses at Night" as a paso doble. Check out some of my other work at pureamericasgottalent.com!